Serum selenium and selenoprotein-P levels in autoimmune thyroid diseases patients in a select center: a transversal study

ABSTRACT Objective: Selenium (Se) supplementation has been used to help prevent the progression of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) patients. We investigated Se serum and selenoprotein P (SePP) levels in Graves' disease (GD) with and without GO, Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) patients and in 27 control individuals (C). Subjects and methods: We studied 54 female and 19 male patients: 19 with GD without GO, 21 GD with GO, 14 with HT and 19 with HT+LT4. Se values were measured using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Serum SePP levels were measured by ELISA. Results: Median Se levels were similar among all groups; GD patients: 54.2 (46.5-61.1 μg/L), GO: 53.6 (43.5-60.0 μg/L), HT: 51.9 (44.6-58.5 μg/L), HT+LT4 54.4 (44-63.4) and C group patients: 56.0 (52.4-61.5 μg/L); P = 0.48. However, serum SePP was lower in GO patients: 0.30 (0.15-1.05 μg/mL) and in HT patients: 0.35 (0.2-1.17 μg/mL) compared to C group patients: 1.00 (0.564.21 μg/mL) as well as to GD patients: 1.19 (0.62-2.5 μg/mL) and HT+LT4 patients: 0.7 (0,25-1.95); P = 0.002. Linear regression analysis showed a significant relationship between SePP and TPOAb values (r = 0.445, R2 = 0.293; P < 0.0001). Multiple regression analysis found no independent variables related to Se or SePP. Conclusion: A serum Se concentration was lower than in some other countries, but not significantly among AITD patients. The low serum SePP levels in GO and HT patients seems to express inflammatory reactions with a subsequent increase in Se-dependent protein consumption remains unclear.

Serum selenium and selenoprotein-P levels in autoimmune thyroid diseases patients in a select center: a transversal study.

OBJECTIVE: Selenium (Se) supplementation has been used to help prevent the progression of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) patients. We investigated Se serum and selenoprotein P (SePP) levels in Graves' disease (GD) with and without GO, Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) patients and in 27 control individuals (C). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied 54 female and 19 male patients: 19 with GD without GO, 21 GD with GO, 14 with HT and 19 with HT+LT4. Se values were measured using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Serum SePP levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Median Se levels were similar among all groups; GD patients: 54.2 (46.5-61.1 µg/L), GO: 53.6 (43.5-60.0 µg/L), HT: 51.9 (44.6-58.5 µg/L), HT+LT4 54.4 (44-63.4) and C group patients: 56.0 (52.4-61.5 µg/L); P = 0.48. However, serum SePP was lower in GO patients: 0.30 (0.15-1.05 µg/mL) and in HT patients: 0.35 (0.2-1.17 µg/mL) compared to C group patients: 1.00 (0.564.21 µg/mL) as well as to GD patients: 1.19 (0.62-2.5 µg/mL) and HT+LT4 patients: 0.7 (0,25-1.95); P = 0.002. Linear regression analysis showed a significant relationship between SePP and TPOAb values (r = 0.445, R2 = 0.293; P < 0.0001). Multiple regression analysis found no independent variables related to Se or SePP. CONCLUSION: A serum Se concentration was lower than in some other countries, but not significantly among AITD patients. The low serum SePP levels in GO and HT patients seems to express inflammatory reactions with a subsequent increase in Se-dependent protein consumption remains unclear.

Monocyte chemoattractant-1 as a urinary biomarker for the diagnosis of activity of lupus nephritis in Brazilian patients.

OBJECTIVE: Monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1), involved in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN), has recently been indicated as a new biomarker of kidney activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim was to assess urinary MCP-1 (uMCP-1) as a biomarker of renal activity in patients with SLE and to compare it to other disease activity markers, using the ELISA. METHODS: Seventy-five female Brazilian patients with SLE and a control group participated in our study. Patients with SLE were distributed among 3 groups according to kidney involvement and classified according to disease activity based on clinical and laboratory measures such as urinary sediment, proteinuria, kidney function, C3, C4, anti-dsDNA, disease activity index, and renal SLE disease activity index. The serum and uMCP-1 concentrations were measured by sandwich ELISA. RESULTS: In the A-LN group (active lupus nephritis: SLE with kidney involvement), the concentration of uMCP-1 was significantly higher than in other groups. A cutoff point was established using the results of the control group to apply this test in the detection of LN. A-LN had a higher frequency of positive results for uMCP-1 in comparison to the other groups (p < 0.001). To detect disease activity in patients with LN, a new cutoff was determined based on the results of patients with SLE with kidney involvement. Setting specificity at 90%, the sensitivity of the test was 50%. CONCLUSION: The high specificity makes uMCP-1 a useful test as a predictor of kidney activity in SLE, especially when associated to other measures used in clinical practice.

Use of AST platelet ratio index (APRI Score) as an alternative to liver biopsy for treatment indication in chronic hepatitis C.

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease in the world, potentially resulting in cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and the need for liver transplantation. Liver biopsy is currently performed before therapy indication. Although, it is the golden standard there are many reasons to avoid or delay the procedure. APRI Score is an easy, low cost and practice alternative method which was described as an alternative for assessing structural changes in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The rationale of this study was to observe the accuracy of APRI Score in comparison to liver biopsy in 400 patients divided into two groups of 200 carriers (Validation and Experimental groups respectively) selected at random or according to liver fibrosis staging (METAVIR). The ROC curves showed a concordance among these two methods of 92% and 88.5% when 1.05 was the cut off (F3 and F4), and 87% and 83%, on 0.75 cut offs (F2-F4). The discordance in advanced fibrosis staging (F3 and F4) was only 16 (8%) and 22 (11%) out of 200 patients in the experimental and validation groups, respectively. In 26 (13%) out of 200 patients in the experimental group and 34 (17%) out of 200 patients in the validation group, there was discordance between APRI Score and liver biopsy in moderate and advanced fibrosis (F2-F4). In conclusion APRI is a serological marker that has satisfactory sensitivity and specificity together with a high predictive value and it can be useful either in the absence of a biopsy or to reduce the frequency with which biopsies need to be carried out to monitor the evolution of chronic hepatitis C and the right moment for treatment indication.

Synthetic peptides as an antigenic base in an ELISA for laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni.

A pool of five synthetic peptides was used as an antigenic base in an ELISA (ELISA-Pp) for laboratory diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni. Serum samples were obtained from individuals with acute (n=23) and chronic (n=30) schistosomiasis, with other parasitoses (n=39) or without parasitic infections (n=100). ELISA-Pp was compared with other immunoenzymatic methods for detection of IgM (IgM-ELISA) or IgG (IgG-ELISA) as well as an immunofluorescence test for detection of IgM antibodies (IgM-IFT). The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA-Pp was 86.8% and 94.2% when tested on the schistosomiasis group and the non-schistosomiasis group, respectively. Comparison of ELISA-Pp with other serological methods resulted in kappa concordance indices varying from 0.59 to 0.75. Evaluation of anti-peptide IgG antibodies showed higher levels in patients with acute compared with chronic schistosomiasis (P=0.001). ELISA-Pp showed satisfactory sensitivity and high specificity and may constitute a potentially useful method for laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni.

[Helicobacter pylori infection and its correlation with gastrointestinal symptoms and outcome of pregnancy]. / Infecção pelo helicobacter pylori e sua correlação com os sintomas dispépticos e evolução da gravidez.

OBJECTIVE: The present study intended to investigate whether there was a relationship between pregnant women with dyspeptic complaints and with and without Helicobacter pylori infection in the first and second trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: H.pylori seropositivity was determined in 146 (aged 20 to 40 years) antenatal patients at 10 to 23 weeks gestation. H.Pylori ser um Immunoglobulin IgG antibody concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA). Age, obesity, parity, outcome of pregnancy and dyspeptic symptoms were registered in the patients' medical records. Chi-square and Student's t-test were used for statistical analysis of the data. RESULTS: Prevalence of H.pylori infection in the population studied was 65.7% (96 of 146). H pylori infection was not associated with parity, preterm delivery, obesity or with dyspeptic symptoms. Women positive for H.pylori IgG were older (30, 45 +/- 6.87 vs 27, 96 +/- 7.44, p= 0.045565*) than H. pylori negative patients. CONCLUSION: In this study there was no association of H pylori infection with dyspeptic symptoms in pregnancy, nor was its presence associated with obesity, parity and outcome of pregnancy.

Application of synthetic peptides in development of a serologic method for laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni

The immunoreactivity of seven peptides synthesized from Schistosoma mansoni proteins, was evaluated by dot-blot and ELISA assays using two different sensitization methodologies. The best results were obtained on wells of the Costar 3590 microplates coated with peptides P1, P2, P3, P6, and P7 using conventional methodology. The signals increased considerably (p < 0.0003) on wells sensitized with P1 to P6 using alternative methodology. In contrast, the well coated with peptide P7 presented lower signal when compared with conventional methodology (p = 0.0019). These results, establish the basis for the application of synthetic peptides for laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni.

Infecção pelo helicobacter pylori e sua correlação com os sintomas dispépticos e evolução da gravidez / Helicobacter pylori infection and its correlation with gastrointestinal symptoms and outcome of pregnancy

OBJETIVO: Investigar em gestantes possível correlação da infecção pelo Helicobacter pylori com sintomas dispépticos e características maternas da gravidez. MÉTODOS: A soropositividade ao H. pylori foi obtida em 146 mulheres com 10 a 23 semanas de gestação. A média de idade foi de 29,6 anos, variando de 17 a 45 anos. A determinação semiquantitativa de anticorpos da classe IgG contra o H. pylori foi realizada com "kit" Elisa de procedência comercial (Varelisa H.pylori IgG Antibodies, Pharmacia & Upjohn Diagnostics GmbH & Co., Germany). Grávidas com sintomas dispépticos que necessitaram de tratamento constituíram o grupo investigado. Outras características maternas também foram correlacionadas à infecção pelo H. pylori: obesidade - IMC >30; paridade - primípara e multípara; evolução da gestação - a termo e aborto ou prematuridade. Os valores obtidos foram submetidos a análise estatística - t de Student e Qui-quadrado. RESULTADOS: A prevalência da infecção pelo H. pylori na população estudada foi de 65,7 por cento. Constatou-se ausência de correlação entre a infecção bacteriana e os fenômenos dispépticos da gravidez. Correlação negativa também foi constatada para obesidade, paridade e o evoluir da gestação. Gestantes com sorologia positiva apresentaram media de idade significantemente maior que as de sorologia negativa: 30,45 ± 6,87 versus 27,96 ± 7,44, p= 0,045565. CONCLUSÃO: O presente estudo não associou a infecção pelo H. pylori com os sintomas dispépticos da gravidez, nem com as características maternas estudadas: obesidade, paridade e evolução da gravidez.

OBJECTIVE: The present study intended to investigate whether there was a relationship between pregnant women with dyspeptic complaints and with and without Helycobacter pylori infection in the first and second trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: H.pylori seropositivity was determined in 146 (aged 20 to 40 years) antenatal patients at 10 to 23 weeks gestation. H.Pylori ser um Immunoglobulin IgG antibody concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA). Age, obesity, parity, outcome of pregnancy and dyspeptic symptoms were registered in the patients' medical records. Chi-square and Student's t-test were used for statistical analysis of the data. RESULTS: Prevalence of H.pylori infection in the population studied was 65.7 percent (96 of 146). H pylori infection was not associated with parity, preterm delivery, obesity or with dyspeptic symptoms. Women positive for H.pylori IgG were older (30, 45 ± 6.87 vs 27, 96 ± 7.44, p= 0,045565*) than H. pylori negative patients. CONCLUSION: In this study there was no association of H pylori infection with dyspeptic symptoms in pregnancy .nor was its presence associated with obesity, parity and outcome of pregnancy.

Application of synthetic peptides in development of a serologic method for laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni.

The immunoreactivity of seven peptides synthesized from Schistosoma mansoni proteins, was evaluated by dot-blot and ELISA assays using two different sensitization methodologies. The best results were obtained on wells of the Costar 3590 microplates coated with peptides P1, P2, P3, P6, and P7 using conventional methodology. The signals increased considerably (p < 0.0003) on wells sensitized with P1 to P6 using alternative methodology. In contrast, the well coated with peptide P7 presented lower signal when compared with conventional methodology (p = 0.0019). These results, establish the basis for the application of synthetic peptides for laboratory diagnosis of schistosomiasis mansoni.

Characterization of Mycoplasma penetrans and Mycoplasma fermentans immunodominant proteins

Micoplasmas são procariotos diminutos, desprovidos de parede celular e envoltos por uma membrana lipoproteica cujo pequeno genoma sintetiza a maioria das moléculas necessárias para crescimento e replicacão. Dentre as dezesseis espécies isoladas do homem, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, agente causador da pneumonia atípica primária, e as espécies do trato urogenital como Mycoplasma hominis,Ureaplasma urealyticum e Ureaplasma parvum têm definido seu papel patogênico. M. penetrans e M. fermentans, espécies associadas ao HIV, têm sido investigadas principalmente em laboratórios de pesquisa. Considerando a importância dos micoplasmas nas doencas humanas e a peculiar variacão antigênica observada em tais espécies, foram caracterizadas, neste estudo, as lipoproteínas associadas a membranas (LAMP) de Mycoplasma penetrans e Mycoplasma fermentans. Para definir peptídeos com possível valor diagnóstico, empregamos as técnicas de ELISA e de Western blot usando soros de gestantes cujas amostras cervicais foram positivas por PCR. Por meio do ELISA foram observados anticorpos IgG anti-LAMP-M. fermentans em 57,5 per center e IgM em 74,5 per center das amostras. As três amostras PCR positivas para M. penetrans apresentaram anticorpos IgG anti-LAMP-M. penetrans e uma amostra positiva para IgM. IgA não foi detectada em nenhuma das espécies. A análise da LAMP, por Western blot, revelou como principais proteinas imunoreativas: 35, 38, 42, 61 and 103 kDa para M. penetrans e 29, 38, 41, 61, 78 and 95 kDa de M. fermentans. Dentre estas podemos considerar p35 específica para M. penetrans e p29, M. fermentans.Tais proteinas são promissoras como marcadores em diagnóstico.

New prevalence estimate of TT virus (TTV) infection in low- and high-risk population from São Paulo, Brazil.

The prevalence of TT virus (TTV) infection was investigated by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in low- (blood donors and healthy children/adolescents) and high-risk (hemophiliacs) groups from São Paulo, Brazil. Primers based on the untranslated region (UTR) of the viral genome proved to be much more ubiquitous, leading to much higher frequencies for both groups (>or= 81%) than the earlier N22-PCR directed to the open reading frame 1 (blood donors, 5.5%, and hemophiliacs, 42.3%). The UTR-PCR also revealed an interesting profile for healthy children/adolescents: very high prevalence at the early years and significant decrease in male teenagers. The N22-PCR, in turn, demonstrated higher frequency in hemophiliacs treated with fresh blood products (58%), than in those treated with virus-inactivated clotting factors (9.4%) and blood donors (5.5%).

New prevalence estimate of TT virus (TTV) infection in low- and high-risk population from Säo Paulo, Brazil

The prevalence of TT virus (TTV) infection was investigated by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in low- (blood donors and healthy children/adolescents) and high-risk (hemophiliacs) groups from Säo Paulo, Brazil. Primers based on the untranslated region (UTR) of the viral genome proved to be much more ubiquitous, leading to much higher frequencies for both groups ( > or = 81 percent) than the earlier N22-PCR directed to the open reading frame 1 (blood donors, 5.5 percent, and hemophiliacs, 42.3 percent). The UTR-PCR also revealed an interesting profile for healthy children/adolescents: very high prevalence at the early years and significant decrease in male teenagers. The N22-PCR, in turn, demonstrated higher frequency in hemophiliacs treated with fresh blood products (58 percent), than in those treated with virus-inactivated clotting factors (9.4 percent) and blood donors (5.5 percent)

Chronic hepatitis C virus infections in brazilian patients: association with genotypes, clinical parameters and response to long term alpha interferon therapy

No presente estudo, avaliamos a importancia clinico-epidemiologica da genotipagem do VHC em 130 pacientes com diagnostico histologico de hepatite cronica C e sua influencia na resposta terapeutica sustentada. Nao se observou associacao entre os genotipos e os aspectos clinico-epidemiologicos como sexo, idade, vias de trasmissao, presenca ou nao de cirrose e tempo de infeccao. Dos 130 pacientes, 113 foram submetidos a tratamento com...

Detection of mycoplasmas in urethral swabs from HIV-1 infected patients and control individuals using culture techniques and polymerase chain reaction

O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar a prevalência de determinadas espécies de micoplasmas, tais como, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum e Mycoplasma penetrans, em swabs uretrais de pacientes infectados com HIV-1 comparando com um grupo controle. Micoplasmas foram detectados por técnicas padräo de cultivo e pela reacäo de polimerase em cadeia para a qual foram utilizados "primers" genericos obtidos da regiäo conservada 16sRNA e "primers" nos dois metodos foi comparavel. Contudo, o PCR mostrou ser mais sensivel nas condicöes empregadas enquanto que o cultivo permitiu a quantificacäo dos isolados. Os resultados demonstraram näo haver diferenças significantes (p<0,05) nas taxas de positividade entre os metodos empregados para a detecçäo dos micoplasmas

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for rubella antibodies: a simple method of antigen production: a preliminary report

Um metodo simples de producao de antigeno de virus da rubeola, por extracao com desoxicolato de sodio para aplicacao no ensaio imunoenzimatico, IMT-ELISA, e apresentado...

Mycoplasma hominis e ureaplasma urealyticum: pesquisa no material cervical de gestantes / Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum: research in pregnants cervical mucus specimens

Foram feitas pesquisas de Mycoplasma hominis e de Ureaplasma urealyticum em material cervical de gestantes. A identificaçäo de Ureaplasma urealyticum baseou-se nas provas bioquímicas das atividades da urease e da fosfatase e na observaçäo da morfologia colonial característica. Mycoplasma hominis foi caracterizado pela observaçäo da morfologia colonial de "ovo-frito", pelo comportamento bioquímico frente às seguintes provas: utilizaçäo da arginina, determinaçäo da atividade da fosfatase, reduçäo do tetrazólio em aerobiose e anaerobiose, utilizaçäo da glicose, produçäo de filmes e "spots", e foi identificado sorologicamente através das reaçöes de inibiçäo metabólica e de imunodifusäo dupla. Todos os micoplasmas isolados foram inicialmente submetidos à prova de sensibilidade à digitonina, 1,5% em soluçäo alcoólica, antes de serem submetido às provas de identificaçäo. Dois grupos de gestantes foram estudados: grupo de risco, constituído de 37 gestantes que possuíam histórico anterior de alteraçöes perigestacionais tais como: abortos, natimortos, prematuros, etc... e grupo controle constituído por 37 gestantes com gestaçöes anteriores normais. As taxas de colonizaçäo encontradas foram:73,0% de Ureaplasma urealyticum e 21,6% de Mycoplasma hominis no grupo de risco; no grupo controle os resultados foram: 65,0% de Ureaplasma urealyticum e 16,2% de Mycoplasma hominis. Estatisticamente as diferenças entre os dois grupos näo foram significantes (delta = 5%)

Modificaçäo e padronizaçäo de meios de transporte e cultivo de micoplasmas genitais: Mycoplasma hominis e Ureaplasma urealyticum / Modification and standardization of transport and culture media for genital mycoplasmas: Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum

Foram padronizados meios de transporte e de cultivo de micoplasmas genitais objetivando principalmente o cultivo do Mycoplasma hominis e do Ureaplasma urealyticum. Tais meios basearam-se principalmente nos preconizados por Shepard e também pelo Laboratory of Diagnosis of Mycoplasma Infections, (LDMI) aos quais foram introduzidas algumas modificaçöes com a finalidade de possibilitar a sua utilizaçäo na rotina laboratorial em nosso meio. A pesquisa desses microrganismos foi feita em material cervical de 74 gestantes. As amostras clínicas foram transportadas em meio líquido (MLTr) e cultivadas em meio líquido para ureaplasma (MLU) e meio líquido de arginina (MLA) para micoplasmas genitais que se utilizam da arginina como fonte energéntica, dentre eles o Mycoplamsa hominis. Os meios utilizados nas condiçöes aqui padronizados mostram-se bastante eficientes para a finalidade proposta, uma vez que nas gestantes as taxas de colonizaçäo encontradas para micoplasmas foram comparáveis com as citadas na literatura internacional